Ticky tick noises

[vwsrus]

My 88 westy's engine has been making a lit of clickty click noises. It sounds like the valves. It has been making this noise for years. It ususally goes away after about a 20 mile trip. I've also put an oil additive in it that has calmed the noise down. But this year, it sound like an air cooled and not a water cooled. I don't drive it a lot. It gets about 5000 a year and is stored in the winter. I just always thought that because it sits, it makes valve noise. Any advise?

[weinerwagen]

My 84 1.9 does the same thing, its twin, is a quiet as a deaf mute.....
lifters are shot, but with 150 lbs of compression, will hold off til I HAVE to replace them

you might, if you are mechanical, try adjusting the valves up a bit, take some slop out of the adjustment, but fore warned, my 1.9 hated me when I set the valves at specs, like, a dead miss from lifters that are not holding up

you might try Mobil 1, but if the van has miles on it, chances are if you cant take the adjustment up a bit, without losing a cylinder, you just get to hear them clatter....

if it means anything, the 1.9 in question runs great, makes a daily 130 mile trip at 70 plus, gets over 21mpg, clatters like one of my 2.0 air cooled. Its twin, runs just as good, in fact a bit hotter on the guage, but has pretty quiet valve train, gets the same mileage, uses the same oil, just has lifter issues.....
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Retired attorney--Tort King.

[vwsrus]

Yea, it runs fine. It has 150K on it and loves to cruise at 70 with the ac on. Even on a trip, I can do 80 in it and it still runs fine. But that loud ticking noise is bothering me. I guess I'm sound sinsitive. That's why I'm sound proofing my aircooled.

As far as the lifters being shot, can they be replaced with out a total tear down? I know on my 74 (with hydrolic lifters that weren't stock!) the lifters had lost their oil. I had to take them out and repump them. Can I do the same on the Vanagon?

[[email protected]]

The lifters ave fairly easy to replace, but you have to buy a set of collapsable pushrod tubes. They are expensive, but save a lot of work. A new set of lifters doesn't cost that much.
If the lifters have been running loose for a while, the adjusters on the rocker arms are probably warn and mushroomed over. It is a good idea to get a replacement set of adjusting screws at the same time.
Place the new lifters in the block with the veny holes up. they won't necessarly stay there for long, but even a few minutes really helps the bleed, also use just 1/2 thun for the initial adjustment.
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'65 standard bus
'87 Vanagon Westfalia

[vwsrus]

Where can I get a good list on parts for my Vanagon? I know that Bus Depot has a lot, but is there any where else?

[weinerwagen]

I've had good luck with our local import parts shop, and Import Authority on internet

you get those lifters are gone, I bet when I pull mine down I will see all sorts of damages to those rockers,,,,,,

but,,,,
_________________
Retired attorney--Tort King.

[Tram]

Before you decide on a teardown, I'd try an OE oil filter with the proper check valve if that isn't what you're using. Even with NEW lifters, if it sits 3 days to a week, you may still get that noise. I've found that the proper filter with the check valve does it best- It prevents the oil from "leaking back" out of the lifters. Collapsed lifters are actually what causes the mushrooming over time, not vice- versa.

[vwsrus]

I do use the proper oil filters with the check valve in them. I've always used them. So, I'm going to take jsdesign's advise and get a set of spring loaded push rods and put in a new set of lifters. It's not effecting the vans performance at all right now. It just sounds like crap.

Thanks

[kevinjakey]

I had the same issue with my 87 westy. I changed the oil and added 1 qt. of marvel mystery oil. I ran the engine for about 20 minutes and the next day, no more noise! this may not work, but it's a simple trick.
Good Luck! -Kevin